CLEVELAND, Ohio — Jimmie Johnson might be sitting third in the latest NASCAR driver standings, but Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Cal. is where JJ fans look for him to shine. While he is certainly hot to start the season, historically, he sizzles at Fontana.
Sunday’s race is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. on Fox, with coverage starting at 3. Tonight’s qualifying is at 7:45 on Fox Sports 1. You can also follow along at NASCAR’s Race Center.
Johnson has won five of 18 career races on the Auto Club Speedway and finished in the top five 12 times. For the drivers in front of him, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch, that puts them on notice this is not the week to take it easy.
On top of that, Johnson is now tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 76 career victories. So one more would give him at least momentary bragging rights.
Meanwhile, if there was ever any doubt about the Danica Patrick issues with the Stewart-Haas race team, the early returns paint a pretty clear picture. While teammates Harvick and Kurt Busch are first and fourth in the current standings, Patrick is well back, currently in 24th. She has no Top 10 finishes after the first four races of the season and one DNF (did not finish).
NASCAR SPRINT CUP
Auto Club 400
Site: Fontana, California.
Schedule: Friday, practice (Fox Sports 1, 1:30-2:55 p.m.), qualifying (Fox Sports 1, 7:45 p.m.); Saturday, practice (Fox Sports 2, 11-11:55 a.m.; 2:30-3:25 p.m.); Sunday, race, 3:30 p.m. (Fox, 3-7 p.m.).
Track: Auto Club Speedway (oval, 2.0 miles).
Race distance: 400 miles, 200 laps.
Last year: Brad Keselowski won at Fontana, taking advantage of debris cautions.
Last week: Kevin Harvick won at Phoenix for the eighth time by nipping Carl Edwards at the finish line.
Fast facts: Harvick was second at Fontana last year, a week after winning at Phoenix. This is the final race of a three-race West Coast swing for NASCAR.
Next race: STP 500, April 3, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Virginia.
XFINITY
TreatMyClot.com 300 by Jannsen
Site: Fontana, California.
Schedule: Friday, practice (Fox Sports 1, 3-4:25 p.m.; 5:30-6:25 p.m.), Saturday, qualifying (Fox Sports 1, 12:15 p.m.), race, 4 p.m. (Fox Sports 1, 4 p.m.)
Track: Auto Club Speedway (oval, 2.0 miles).
Race distance: 300 miles, 150 laps.
Last year: Kevin Harvick led 100 laps to win the race.
Last week: Kyle Busch led a 1-2-3 Joe Gibbs Racing sweep at Phoenix for Busch’s third win in three Xfinity Series races this year. Erik Jones was second and Daniel Suarez third.
Fast facts: Toyota drivers won nine consecutive Xfinity Series races at Fontana from 2008 through 2013 until Chevrolet ended the stranglehold with wins by Kyle Larson and Harvick the last two years. Sprint Cup drivers have won every Xfinity Series race this season. Suarez is the points leader.
Next race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, April 8, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas.
CAMPING WORLD TRUCK
Next race: Alpha Energy Solutions 250, April 2, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Virginia.
Last race: John Hunter Nemechek won at Atlanta on Feb. 27, beating Cameron Hayley by 0.305 seconds.
VERIZON INDYCAR
Next race: Phoenix Grand Prix, April 2, Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Arizona.
Last race: Juan Pablo Montoya won the season-opening race for the second consecutive year. Team Penske teammate Will Power did not race because he was ill.
NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING
NHRA GATORNATIONALS
Site: Gainesville, Florida.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying (FS1, 9-10 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying (FS1, 6:30-7:30 p.m.); Sunday, final eliminations (FS1, 1-4 p.m.).
Track: Auto-Plus Raceway.
Last year: Spencer Massey won the Top Fuel division in the Gatornationals, and Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps topped the Funny Car field. Greg Anderson won in Pro Stock, and Karen Stoffer in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Last race: Leah Pritchett won Feb. 28 in Chandler, Arizona, beating Brittany Force in the first all-female Top Fuel final since 1982. Tim Wilkerson won in Funny Car, and Jason Line in Pro Stock.
Fast facts: The event is the traditional East Coast opener and the season’s first of 16 races for Pro Stock Motorcycle. The event is known for the first 260-mph Top Fuel and Funny Car runs and first 270-mph and 300-mph Top Fuel passes.
Next event: DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals, April 1-3, Las Vegas.
FORMULA ONE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
Site: Melbourne, Australia.
Schedule: Friday, practice (NBC Sports Channel, 12:30-3 a.m.); Saturday, practice, qualifying (NBC Sports Channel, 12:30-3 a.m.); Sunday, race, (NBC Sports Channel, 12:30 a.m.)
Track: Albert Park (road course, 3.3 miles).
Race distance: 191.12 miles, 58 laps.
Last year: Lewis Hamilton won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg was second.
Fast facts: American team Haas F1 will make its debut in the FIA Formula One World Championship. The team is the first American-led Formula One team since 1986, founded by Gene Haas and based in Kannapolis, North Carolina.
Next race: Bahrain Grand Prix, April 3, Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain.
OTHER RACES
WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car: Friday-Saturday, FVP Western Spring Shootout, Stockton Dirt Track, Stockton, California.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
